The Crossroads groups were the Republican establishments key outside force in 2010 and are likely to be again this year, so when two Crossroads figures seemed to align themselves with Mitt Romney today, their quotes got some quiet but intense attention from people involved in the 2012 race.

“Romney is the best opportunity for the Republicans to have a well-funded campaign,” American Crossroads Communications Director Jonathan Collegio told Reuters. “He’s basically been running for six years and he has a network of local leaders and fundraisers across the country.”

“It’s up to the other candidates to knock him off the top rung, and at this point the other candidates have shown an unwillingness to even really try,” consultant Carl Forti, a former Romney aide who is American Crossroads’ political director, told Alex Burns, offering that Pawlenty had “whiffed big time at the last debate when presented a great opportunity.” …

Smith offers some caveats about that apparent pro-Romney leaning, but, well, Rove did spend months in 2008 trying to talk John McCain into picking Romney as his running mate, as Robert Novak, John Heileman, and Steve Kornacki, among others, reported at the time. As for this year, while I take anything at Newsmax with massive infusions of salt, I see that Doug Wead, a former special assistant to President W, writes there:

Insiders have told me that Karl Rove has been advising the [Romney] campaign and some insist that he is the mastermind behind this new formidable fundraising juggernaut for Romney.

I think that the powers that be on the right feel that Romney may be the only candidate that stands a chance of winning in 2012. While many on the right wouldn’t vote for him because of his religion, it’s possible that he could make up that deficit by attracting disaffected Democrats and independents away from Obama.

Pity us the highest favor by preserving and guarding our bodies, free us from the savage Norman Karl Rove tribe who devastates our realms. They aged and young would have their throats slit, and maidens and lads too, and the multitudes also.

If the choice is between a Mooslum usurper and a Mormon apostate, I believe that the Christianists will just stay home unless they are given something else to vote against. So if Romney truly is Rove’s candidate, expect 50 state ballot initiatives that include some combination of guns, gays, abortion and darkies.

Yea, well, unless Rove can de Mormonize Romney before the voting starts, then I have my doubts about any Rove third term. And after that he will have to de soshulize him for sins against feedom as the Mass Commissar and passing guvment run health care, not to mention other collective impurities. I doubt even Rove can perform that exorcism.

But Planet Wingnut is fully insane, so nothing would surprise me much what they end up doing, or electing.

At the very least, Romney would be a candidate. As opposed to Palin or Bachmann who would be a disaster for our country.
Perhaps, Romney would force Barack to contrast himself from the Thuglicans, which would; in my opinion, increase his gravitas and give some momentum to the re-election campaign…

I think Romney would be by far the strongest candidate against Obama. I think the idea that anyone would vote against a person simply because they are Mormon (or Muslim, or Buddhist, etc.) is crazy. Especially crazy for the Dispensationalist Endtimes Christianist sect, whose beliefs are just as strange as those of the Mormons, and in some ways much nastier than the Mormons.

It would be unpleasant to rely on such bigotry to keep Romney from winning, but it may come down to that.

Edit: I didn’t pay enough attention to the end of your comment. I agree that Rove would plan things out like that, and the next election could therefore be very unpleasant, and unhelpful for constructive debate.

Rove needs to retire, except I think he enjoys the nastiness too much. He loves his work, unfortunately.

Palin also shares not-so-fond memories of her 2010 stint on “Dancing With the Stars,” where she and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, finished in third place. “I noticed some of the contestants rolled their eyes when they realized we’d survived to dance another day,” she writes, adding that some of the contenders voted off “literally would not speak to us or acknowledge our presence.”

Yeah, it’s quite a mystery why they would resent your no-talent ass costing them a chance to win the competition.

I’ve never got the whole Karl-Rove-is-a-political-genius meme. 50+1 is the last way you want to win an election, yet that’s pretty much all he had. Sure, you can win an election like that, but it makes it rather difficult to actually, you know, govern. Then again, the GOP hasn’t really been interested in that since maybe the early 90s.

I think Romney would be by far the strongest candidate against Obama. I think the idea that anyone would vote against a person simply because they are Mormon (or Muslim, or Buddhist, etc.) is crazy. Especially crazy for the Dispensationalist Endtimes Christianist sect, whose beliefs are just as strange as those of the Mormons, and in some ways much nastier than the Mormons.

Which only shows that you’re not a religious fanatic. Having strange, nasty religious beliefs doesn’t make you more prone to like other people with equally strange but different ones. It makes you reject those other strange beliefs not only as bad, but actually worse than complete nonbelievers. Not to go all m_c, but rejection of other forms of thought is a form of mimetic protection that almost all really crazy belief systems have to incorporate in order to avoid being replaced by something else.

I have often wondered how the election of 2008 would have played out if Romney had been the VP candidate of the Reps.

As it was, when the economy took a nosedive, McCain and Palin could only offer that deer-in-the-headlights stare. Romney would have had suggestions for dealing with the crisis. Good suggestions? Don’t know. But he would have worked out some sort of a plan and presented it.

In the fall of 2008, Obama collected economists and consulted with them and formed plans. Does anyone know if McCain even consulted economists at that time? I doubt that Palin did, although many economists would have gladly spoken with her.

@ Roger Moore: I’m always amused that people when people who aren’t members of extremist cults tell though of us who were raised in those cults what their co-former-religionists will do.

Having been raised in the south as a southern baptist, I can tell you that they will line up to get rid of the kenyan usurper muslin. Anyone who thinks mormonosity will be the least strike against a republican in a general is delusional.

The only places where there are enough death cultists to make any difference is in the confederacy, and any republican is still going to win those states by 20%. It will not matter if four people stay home.

Whoever it’s going to be, they are going to give Obama a run for the money, both literally and figuratively. It’s more than possible that we’ll be looking at a pretty hardcore Republican House, Senate, and White House. I’ve pretty much adjusted to it already. It’s going to be a tough life for the middle class, but then again, we have to accept that for the sake of the “job creator” class.

Having been raised in the south as a southern baptist, I can tell you that they will line up to get rid of the kenyan usurper muslin. Anyone who thinks mormonosity will be the least strike against a republican in a general is delusional.

Having grown up in the south, come to think of it, I think you are likely right about the average voter there and their red hot desire to get rid of Obama. The problem for the wingers is the deeply evangelical voters, who don’t vote all that often, unless they think one of their own is on the ticket. They didn’t know much about Bush in 2000, and didn’t come out in droves. But they did in 2004, and was a big reason Bush won.

A lot of these people are very quiet politically, and many are not that racist. Not to be confused with the purely right wing christian’s that run their mouths constantly on teevee. A lot of them live in the midwest, but they really live in a contrived state within a state, where jeevus is always president, and unless a mortal human convinces them he or she is one of them, they tend to stay home.

And even if they could convince themselves voting for a Mormon is ok, which I doubt cause they hate idolators with a passion, almost as much as abortionists. And I doubt They will believe Romney’s recent conversion to pro life, and that will get them to the voting booths.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Obama lose. He has spent most of his term chasing the bipartisanship unicorn despite the fact republicans have engaged in a level of obstructionism never seen, at least not at this level.

At some point Obama is going to have to take a risk and visibly fight for something, even if self-preservation is the only motive. Show people you give a shit( I’m not suggesting he doesn’t care about people, but he needs to make it visible).

Whoever it’s going to be, they are going to give Obama a run for the money, both literally and figuratively. It’s more than possible that we’ll be looking at a pretty hardcore Republican House, Senate, and White House.

Really? Is there a single Republican elected in 2010 whose job approval isn’t in the absolute shitter? I’m not seeing those swing states being particularly happy with their choices from just 8 months ago.

the political blogosphere has been around for 10 years now, has it accomplished anything?

I can’t think of any outright accomplishments. A couple people got book deals and Arianna leveraged free labor into a big payday, but I can’t think of any stand alone political and electoral accomplishments.

Well, that can’t be true — I keep seeing letters in all of the Florida papers saying that Floridians have to give Rick Scott their “unwavering and enthusiastic support.” That kind of grass-roots action can’t be faked.
/snark

I agree. You’ve got your candidate’s brother in the governor’s office. Your state campaign manager is in charge of the voting and has been purging the rolls for two years, and you still need the supreme court to give you the election.

I also remember 2006 when Rove had all the numbers. The press/media sucked up to him then and they will again. He does, after all, work for the rich, just like them.

50+1 is the last way you want to win an election, yet that’s pretty much all he had.

Actually I’ve heard good liberals tell me that’s exactly the best way to win. You have just as much power and you’ve had to promise the absolute minimum to get it. Every vote over 50%+1 is money left on the table.

ML @ 13
Not bad. Or how about: When you were a young man, did it trouble you that blacks were forbidden to become priests of the LDS church until 1978 (when you were 31 years old) based on the teaching of Brigham Young Senior “that “Negroes” were black due to the mark of Cain, which also meant that they were Canaanites and were under the curse of Ham”?

‘Course, that might help him with some parts of the Republican base. Those types might be more repelled by: “You learned French during your Mormon mission. Do you still speak it fluently?” (And maybe show people this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP2M0DTch8
)

not only did mittens spend his youth in gay paree, but he used his paris vacation to get out of vietnam

As the Vietnam War raged in the 1960s, Mitt Romney received a deferment from the draft as a Mormon “minister of religion” for the duration of his missionary work in France, which lasted two and a half years. (source)

can you imagine how jake tapper and chuck todd would be whaling if a Dem had dodged Nam eating brie on the left bank.

can you imagine the never ending jokes by morning blow and halperin if Obama was fluent in french.

It’s more than possible that we’ll be looking at a pretty hardcore Republican House, Senate, and White House.

no. its not.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Obama lose. He has spent most of his term chasing the bipartisanship unicorn despite the fact republicans have engaged in a level of obstructionism never seen, at least not at this level.

are either of you paying attention at all? Obama is kicking everyone’s ass in the polls. he’s gaining popularity in unlikely states and despite the economy and the wars, he is still popular with the public. He is more popular than all of congress and his own party. Don’t know what world you two are living in but step outside the bubble once in a while .

I have gone on the record, and will continue to go on the record, guaranteeing that Romney will easily win the Republican nomination (of course my guarantee is worth absolutely nothing). The fact he looks good in a suit and has “met payroll” before will outweigh any Mormon/RINO hesitation that might be out there. Better a RINO than Obama right?

He is seen, right now, as the only “legitimate” candidate with a shot at not being humiliated by Obama (and if the economy is bad at election time, never say never). Once that narrative settles in a bit more, people will get behind him because it will become tribe over purity. Sure, the primaries will have some fireworks and some crazy will come out, but Romney will still be standing at the end with his good hair, his good smile and his nice suit painting the best picture of ability to defeat Obama.

Rove, I suspect, sees it this way as well and wants to get back into the game and become relevant again.

Never be overconfident. Obama may look good now, but November 2012 is a long way a way, and if the Republicans have their way the economy will be further in the shitter then than it is now. And whether it is fair or not, Obama will take the hit for that.

Romney has one supposed strength – business (of course he’s actually pretty shitty at it, but that isn’t important, he’s rich, so he must be smart).

Bad economy is bad news for Obama. Now, Obama may still win easily, but it would be wise to not get too ahead of ourselves.

of course he’s actually pretty shitty at it, but that isn’t important, he’s rich, so he must be smart

Romney was born on third base but is trying to convince everyone he hit a triple. He’ll also try to sell his salvaging of the Salt Lake City Olympics as a great achievement of leadership as well (though all he did was fire a bunch of folks). His real big issue will be that he still hasn’t sold why his health care reform in Massachusetts is different than Obama’s beyond SHUT UP THAT’S WHY!!

mitt raw-money, and turd blossom? what could go wrong, except, well, everything. any enthusiasm on conservatives part for raw-money is coming from mormons,everyone else is forcing it, because they feel like they need a brand, any brand, even if it isn’t the brand they will buy.

chasing the bipartisanship unicorn is what will sway independents to his side.

What will sway independents to his side is a better economy. He’s not going to get that if he keeps making “bipartisan” deals to cut taxes for rich people.

people who aren’t hard left or right tend to like bipartisanship.

Even if this is true, they like being able to make the house payment a lot more.

I guarantee you that not one single person is going to walk into the voting booth in November 2012 and think to him or herself “Well, I’ve been unemployed for the last two years, but I’m going to vote for Obama because he’s just been so darned bipartisan!”

I guarantee you that not one single person is going to walk into the voting booth in November 2012 and think to him or herself “Well, I’ve been unemployed for the last two years, but I’m going to vote for Obama because he’s just been so darned bipartisan!”

(Can Mormons say hell? Or is that banned along with the caffeine and alcohol?)

It is apparently banned. A friend of mine had to do a work trip to rural Utah once. His geekiness led him to use the nearest comic/game shop to stay sane. He reported that the most obscene cussing he heard the entire week from adult or child was the utterance, “Oh my heck.”